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H.R. 6223

BillFederalHouseIn Committee
D-BLOC Act
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · March 13, 2020
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Congress
116th (2019–2021)
Introduced
March 12, 2020
Cosponsors (2)
2D 0R
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Summary

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Don't BLock Our Communities Act or the D-BLOC Act This bill addresses concerns related to blocked crossings. (A blocked crossing is a circumstance in which a train, railroad car, or locomotive engine is stopped or is standing in a manner that obstructs public travel at a crossing). Specifically, the bill requires each railroad carrier to collect data on blocked crossings and directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to incorporate such data into the national highway-rail crossing inventory; establishes a 10-minute limit on trains, locomotive, railroad cars, or other railroad equipment blocking crossings, with specified exceptions; authorizes DOT to issue civil penalties for each incident where a crossing is blocked by a standing train, locomotive, or rail equipment; requires DOT to issue regulations defining what is considered persistently or egregiously blocking a crossing, including taking into consideration the extent to which the blocked crossing poses a public safety hazard; does not apply to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) or commuter authorities; directs DOT to issue and publish a national strategy on how it plans to address blocked crossings; and requires each railroad carrier to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone service for rights-of-way over which it dispatches trains to directly receive calls reporting blocked crossings.

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